The Simple and the Extraordinary!

“The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them.”                    By Paulo Coelho

The annual reception was a major hit. WOW! Thank each of you who attended and contributed to the fun and joy we shared last Friday evening. Nearly 50 guests attended. One “Friend” guest resides in Shreveport, LA and received the longest distance recognition.

The reception attendees appeared to enjoy Guadalupe and Ruben. They interacted with all of the attendees and both provided an oral presentation about their lives and families.

Ruben demonstrated his mental skills by simultaneously solving three rubik cubes (different sizes) in less than three minutes. We all watched Ruben’s lightning display of his amazing finger and mental dexterity while solving each rubik cube.

Then, Guadalupe performed a cultural dance while wearing a beautiful traditional dress. She captivated our attention as she moved thru all the different elements of the dance. The audience were treated with memorable performances from both students.                    

Some of the other activities for our Costa Rican guests included a day at “Dollywood”, Hungry Mother State Park, mountain tops, and a photo on State Street in Bristol VA/TN. They also attended the “Wizard of Oz” being performed at the famous Barter Theater.

There was shopping and more shopping and a long drive to the Carter Fold. You will need to google “Carter Fold” to learn what significance this has. All this was added to the earlier sightseeing tour in Washington, DC before getting to Emory & Henry College.

We will place several photos in the Gallery to provide a more extensive look at this year’s Pathway Project.

Camden Jones, the Emory & Henry student who spent several weeks as this year’s E&H Pathway Project’s volunteer teacher, attended the reception. She spoke about her life changing experience while volunteering at the Copey Learning Center.   

The 2024 Pathway Project Goal…!

Goal  $4,500.00   Achieved!!!

In very typical fashion, “Friends” succeeded once again in achieving the Pathway Project Goal. This is extremely important as we commit ourselves to expenses before having the funds in hand. Though risky, it is an act of pure faith that we will succeed in obtaining the needed funds. 

This time around, we appear to have blown past the funds needed. Congratulations to all as we are now just finalizing the financial reports to pass along to the TCI Kiwanis Foundation. The financial report takes a couple weeks to complete as we gather all the expense reports from start to finish to determine the acutal cost versus the amount we budgeted months ago.

Regardless, we are confident that enough funds have been received to cover our expenses. If there is a surplus, we will provide the extra funds to the Copey Learing Center for them to apply to some special educational needs they have.

Final Comments…!

The 2024 Pathway Project is complete as the two students and their chaperone have safely returned home to Costa Rica. The volunteers and supporters have completed their work making certain this year’s project was the best we can provide. And, there is little concern about our ability to cover all the costs. By all accounts, this was an extremely successful project. 

There are many “Friends” to thank and I have tried to convey my most sincere feelings of gratitude to all. As I now focus on the end of this project, I have not lost sight of the fact that we came very close to not having the event this year.

In March and April there was very little hope that we would have the needed visas in place. In fact, we announced to everyone the news of our decision to cancel the 2024 Pathway Project.  Then, the news came that a schedule change took place and the visas were approved earlier than anticipated. We quickly turned the project back on and today we are extremely grateful. 

I extend a very special thank you to Emory & Henry College and the Tri-Cities Industry Kiwanis Club for their essential support.